Retiring Ann has friends for life

Date of release: 6 October 2023

“Work mum” and “one of the Three Musketeers” Ann Rogers might be leaving her career behind but not the lifelong friends she has made.

Mother of two Ann, 66, has retired from The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) after 48 years’ NHS service, most recently as Community Receptionist and Clerical Officer at the Phoenix Health Centre in Parkfields.

Ann Rogers

As the first point of contact at Phoenix, Ann, from Penn, scheduled appointments, booked surgery rooms, supplied vitamin drops to new parents and reported faults.

But her NHS story began in 1974 when she started work as a Dental Nurse at Red Hill Street clinic near Molineux after nine months as a hairdresser.

After a decade at Red Hill Street, she had her son and rejoined the NHS at Parkfields Dental Clinic and has had spells in health clinics at Wakeley Hill (Penn), Warstones, Primrose Lane Bushbury, Lower Green, Whitmore Reans and Bradley in Bilston before starting work at Phoenix when it opened.

Ann has worked with virtually every health department in the city, including District Nursing, Community Nursing, School Nursing, Continence, Nurse Visiting and, in the last two years, two days a week at FootHealth, an NHS Chiropody service at Mayfield Clinic on Willenhall Road.

But it was with fellow Community Receptionists Yvette Booth and Denise Perkins at Phoenix – where they formed such a formidable treble act at work and became the firmest of friends – that she has the fondest memories.

Together, the trio have worked together at Phoenix from 2007, and were affectionately known as the Three Musketeers by regular patients.

“I’ve loved every job I’ve had but my favourite one was at Phoenix. It has been the best time of my career because of the lifelong friends I’ve made,” said Ann.

“Patients used to joke that they would queue for the front row seats in the waiting area just to hear us three taking the mickey out of each other! We socialise and go on holidays together and have such a laugh.

Ann and her friends and colleagues at her retirement celebration

“Patients would bring in badges and I’d put them on my lanyard and they’d say it was my ‘chain of office’.”

Denise, 61, who has worked for the Trust for 20 years, and Yvette, 52, who has worked for RWT for 16 years, said: “Ann is definitely the mother of the Health Centre; she’s been there for everyone and always has a kind and wise word.

“So many have learnt so many skills from her, so she’s going to be greatly missed. Ann is very professional but has a wicked sense of humour – she makes us all laugh!”

That sense of humour once drove Ann to dress up as a clown to try to persuade youngsters to be vaccinated at a child immunisation clinic in Bradley.

Patients voted Ann’s team winner of the Trust’s Kind & Caring Award in 2016. The trio were presented with a plaque by Professor David Loughton CBE, Group Chief Executive, at Molineux with their then line manager Stef Southall, Compliance Officer, Primary Care and Adult Community Service Group.

And Ann’s popularity was underlined by patients making special journeys to shower her with retirement gifts, along with scores of emails from colleagues.

At her leaving do, Ann was presented with jewellery, an escape room experience, afternoon tea at Marco Pierre White’s restaurant and tickets to see The Full Monty.

Ann now plans to volunteer one day a week at St Bartholomew's Primary School, where her daughter Laura Benbow, 40, is Head of Early Years, helping children to read. And she is looking forward to spending more time with husband of 46 years Stephen, a retired pet shop owner, and their seven grandchildren.

Notes to Editors

• For further information, please call Tim Nash on 07714 741097 or email tim.nash2@nhs.net